Australia Women 259/6 (50 overs) Lanning 104, Perry 48, beat England Women 196 all-out (43 overs) Edwards 58, Schutt 4-47 by 63 runs.

A century from Australian Women skipper Meg Lanning helped her side draw level in the Women's Ashes, with a comprehensive 63-run win in the second ODI at Bristol

Having won the opener on Tuesday at Taunton, England captain Charlotte Edwards decided to stick with their winning formula of chasing, after winning the toss and sticking the tourists into bat first.

Australians set daunting total

After seeing 240 chased down by the hosts in the first match of the series, the Australians went about scoring a higher total and were set the perfect platform by openers Elyse Villani and Nicole Bolton who added 65 for the first wicket. 

Bolton, returing from injury, was the second to go after she was bowled by Anya Shrubsole, which brought Ellyse Perry to the crease to join her skipper in the middle. 

The two star players of the Australian side then put together a match-winning partnership of 132 in 23 overs, with Perry handing much of the strike to Lanning who was finding the boundary with ease. 

Perry was just two short of her 7th straight half century in ODI cricket before she was bowled by Heather Knight, who finished with respectable figures of 2-44 from her nine overs after also bowling Alex Blackwell

It was Lanning, though, who was the mainstay of the innings, scoring 104 from 98 balls, including 13 boundaries as she lived up to the hype, before she was stumped by Sarah Taylor off the bowling of Nat Sciver

England's bowlers kept it tight in the last couple of overs, restricting Australia to 259-6 from their 50 overs. 

England start brightly, but fall away to suffer 63-run loss

In pursuit, England were given the perfect start by skipper Edwards (58) and Knight (38) who added 92 for the opening wicket, before the latter was run-out by Lanning who couldn't keep out of the spotlight.

Taylor then joined the experienced Edwards at the crease, and the pair carried on the good work before Megan Schutt bowled the hosts' captain as Australia started to get a foothold in defending the total. 

Amy Jones was next to go for a duck, before Taylor followed soon after for 43 both to the bowling of Jess Jonassen.  

England then fell away with only Lydia Greenway (20) and Katherine Brunt (21 not out) reaching double figures after the top three batsmen, as they were dismissed for 196 with seven overs unused. 

Schutt was the star with the ball for the Aussies, registering 4-47, with six of England's dismissals being bowled as the tourists executed their plans perfectly of bowling full and straight. 

Lanning pleased to contribute to victory

Following the victory, player-of-the-match Lanning said how important is was that she "lead from the front." and that her job was to "score big runs."

"I’ve got that opportunity and once you get to 50 as a No3, you have to go on. That’s what wins you the game."

VAVEL Logo
About the author